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Cost Estimate and Funding
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers that the war with Iran has cost about $37.5 billion so far, and he said the figure includes projected costs through Sept. 30.
“United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has put the latest official price tag on the US-Israel war on Iran at $37”
Hegseth testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine as the Trump administration sought $67 billion in supplemental funding to cover the Iran conflict and replenish military supplies.
In the same hearing, Hegseth said the administration’s supplemental request is “urgent, necessary,” while CBS News reported that two Democratic sources and a third source familiar with the matter told CBS that the actual cost is much higher.
The dispute over the price tag comes as the U.S. and Iran traded nightly strikes for over a week and Iran struck several commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, ending a shaky ceasefire between the two countries.
Protest, Debate, and Strategy
During the Senate hearing, Hegseth’s opening remarks were repeatedly interrupted by protesters, and the Guardian reported that he faced lawmakers furious over the conflict’s soaring price tag and the deaths last week of three American service members.
Sen. Patty Murray warned that the request would bankroll “another forever war,” while NewsNation reported a shouting match in which Sen. Gary Peters accused Hegseth of being “the failure” and said the administration had created another “forever war.”
Hegseth responded to Peters by snapping back that Peters’ characterization was reckless and irresponsible, and he said the war aim is to ensure Iran “never gets a nuclear weapon.”
In the same exchange, NewsNation quoted Peters saying the leaders have failed them, while CBS News said Senate Democrats criticized the Trump administration’s Iran strategy as the conflict escalated.
Pickaxe Mountain Threats
As the U.S. pressed for additional funding, Iran warned that it would target U.S. and allied interests across the Middle East if Washington attacks its nuclear facilities, according to Iranian state television.
“Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers Tuesday the U”
The warning came after President Donald Trump said the United States was “very likely” to strike the area of “Pickaxe Mountain” “very soon, and very hard,” and the report said the site is an underground complex near Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility.
The same report said the underground complex lies less than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) south of the Natanz nuclear facility and is believed to be buried deep beneath solid rock.
In parallel, CNN reported that the U.S. launched an 11th consecutive night of strikes, and it quoted U.S. Central Command saying the strikes were designed “to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities” used to attack vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
